"He had been suspended without pay from his employment as chief of police, and it's his intention now to take a look at getting reinstated," defense attorney Ray Amatangelo said.

Last month, Washington Area Humane Society manager Kelly Backo said a 1 1/2-year-old female Rottweiler named Etalia was underfed and about 25 pounds underweight. She called it "a life or death situation" for the dog, which she said was malnourished and weighed only 58 pounds.

After a tip that Etalia was being kept for too many hours of the day in the basement of a Scenery Hill home, a dog officer went there and found the animal living in what he called its own filth and took it away for treatment.

"I was surprised that the owner is a police chief," Backo said at the time. "He should know what the Pennsylvania dog law is and how to maintain and properly care for your animal."

Hardesty denied the cruelty charges and said the dog was underweight because it had recently run away for several days. He pointed to his male Rottweiler -- which clearly appeared healthy -- as proof that he is a responsible dog owner.